Quick Facts
Biography
Wanya Marçal-Madivadua (born 19 October 2002) is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or left winger for EFL Championship club Leicester City. Born in England, he has represented Portugal at youth international level.
Early life
Marçal was born in Leicester, but grew up in Peterborough with his mother and step-father. He is the eldest of four siblings, with his step-brother Cheyenne Loureiro, as well as his brother, Luegi, playing for Leicester City, while his other step-brother, Giovanni Loureiro, also played for the club before moving on to Bolton Wanderers.
Club career
Early career
Initially playing football in a local park with his brothers, Marçal joined a local academy named Feeder Soccer, before being scouted and signed by professional side Peterborough United at the age of ten.
Leicester City
His step-brother, Giovanni, had joined the academy of Leicester City, and was shortly followed by Marçal, who joined the club in 2015, at the age of twelve. Having progressed through the academy, he signed a professional contract with the club in July 2021, despite interest from a number of clubs across Europe, and was promoted to the first-team squad. On 8 January 2022, Marçal made his professional debut with Leicester City in a 4–1 FA Cup win over Watford, coming on as a half-time substitute for Vontae Daley-Campbell.
Ahead of the 2023–24 season, Marçal signed a contract extension with the club. Under new manager Enzo Maresca, Marçal featured in all of Leicester City's pre-season games, including travelling with the first-team squad to Thailand and Singapore.
Following the loss of a number of first-team players due to Leicester City's relegation from the Premier League, he was handed his league debut in the EFL Championship in a 1–0 win against Huddersfield Town on 12 August 2023 by Maresca. The following Saturday, he scored his first professional goal in a 2–1 win over Cardiff City, volleying past goalkeeper Jak Alnwick following an headed clearance by a Cardiff City defender from a Leicester City corner. Despite his bright start to the season, he was dropped for the following game away at Rotherham United, with Leicester manager Maresca, who opted to have two goalkeepers on the bench instead, stating that Marçal needed to "earn" his place in the team.
International career
Born in England, Marçal is of Portuguese and Angolan descent. He is a youth international for Portugal, having represented the Portugal U20s.
Career statistics
Club
- As of 3 September 2023.
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Leicester City U21 | 2021–22 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||||
| Leicester City | 2021–22 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023–24 | Championship | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | |
| Career total | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | ||